Steve Clarke has resigned as head coach following Scotlandโs exit from the World Cup.
The Scottish Football Association announced his departure moments after Croatiaโs victory over Ghana on Saturday sealed Scotlandโs fate.
BBC Scotland learned the players were told the news on Saturday while Clarke and the team were still at their base in Charlotte.
Just a month ago he signed a new four-year contract.
The Scots beat Haiti 1-0 in their opening Group C match in Boston, the same city where they then lost 1-0 to Morocco and then lost 3-0 to Brazil in Miami.
That left them with only a slim chance of qualifying for the round of 16 as one of the top eight third-placed teams, but that hope faded on Saturday, three days after defeat to Brazil.
โThe most emotional part of this farewell is for my players, without whom we would not have any of the memories we have made from 2019 to date,โ Clark said.
โThey deserve all the praise and adulation they receive and it has been a true honor to be called their mentor.
โThank you for having me, and good luck to my successor.โ
Clarke became Scotlandโs head coach seven years ago and the country has not reached the final of a major tournament since the 1998 World Cup.
Under his leadership, the Scots won the European Championship twice before reaching the World Cup this summer.
However, despite this qualifying success, Scotland lost in all three tournaments, with victory over Haiti earlier this month their only victory in the final.
Scotland went into Wednesdayโs game against Brazil with a good chance of being one of the top third-placed teams in the competition, but defensive errors undermined that bid.
โWhile we are all disappointed to be eliminated in the group stages of the World Cup, we must not lose sight of the undeniable progress that has been made during Steveโs seven years in charge,โ Scottish FA chief executive Ian Maxwell said.
โFrom Pot 4 in 2019 to leading our World Cup qualifying group, he has more than delivered on the task of getting Scotland back to a major tournament.
โWe thank Steve for his record-breaking contribution and know that when the disappointment of being eliminated at the World Cup subsides, Scotland fans will be grateful for the memories of marching proudly to major tournaments again.โ